We need a star
- Thread starter IdahoAlum
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We've got a star in McIntosh but he doesn't have the players around him that Melo has. Mc is getting doubled all over the court now. You can't do that to Melo because he has lots of other weapons.
Mac is good, but he isn't the type of star that can be doubled or even tripled and still impose his will. The last time we had someone like that, he TRULY had no one around him. Evan Eschmeyer.
This said, help is coming. Law out for the year is beginning to really hurt, but hopefully he recovers and comes back. This Isaiah Brown kid looks intriguing. As someone said, you don't score 50 night in and night out by accident. At least we know he can put the ball in the hoop.
Hope Collins can close on the 2017 studs that we're hot after (forget their names, but I mean the two in our backyard).
To paraphrase a political candidate I can't recall: I've seen Melo and Mac is no Melo.
Comparing anyone to a first team All American really isn't fair. Melo is arguably the best PG in college basketball. McIntosh is a great player though, and while he doesn't have some of the natural skill that Melo has, he can feel good knowing that there are a small number of people that do.
Law may be out for his career. His injury isn't easily returnable, ever, according to the Watergirl.
That's really what I'm saying, I guess. If you want to beat elite teams, you need elite players. Mac's good -- Melo's elite and NU falls short again.
Law has torn labrum in his non-shooting arm. Wake up! He is 20 years old, I think he can rehabilitate. See Drew Crawford.
Imagine a nucleus of McIntosh, Falzon and Pardon at 15 ppg each. Then throw in Law to make a key defensive play, grab a rebound or hit a key three pointer. Then factor in a shot-making guard like Brown, a 6'9" SF who can make a shot when the game is on the line(hopefully Rapolas) and a center who can finish around the hoop and can post up and has some quickness with his feet (Benson) who has a vertical more than 2 inches. What NU needs is shotmakers. Not necessarily stars but stars should would be welcome.
Oh yes, Maryland will lose their entire starting lineup next year as Stone and Melo leave early and Carter, Sulaimon and Layman have used up their eligibility.
Imagine a nucleus of McIntosh, Falzon and Pardon at 15 ppg each. Then throw in Law to make a key defensive play, grab a rebound or hit a key three pointer. Then factor in a shot-making guard like Brown, a 6'9" SF who can make a shot when the game is on the line(hopefully Rapolas) and a center who can finish around the hoop and can post up and has some quickness with his feet (Benson) who has a vertical more than 2 inches. What NU needs is shotmakers. Not necessarily stars but stars should would be welcome.
Oh yes, Maryland will lose their entire starting lineup next year as Stone and Melo leave early and Carter, Sulaimon and Layman have used up their eligibility.
Lloyd Bentsen on Dan Quayle. In this case, Melo = Jack Kennedy. The quote was:
"Senator, I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
One of the biggest burns in political debate history.
Mac is a top ten point guard, nationally. Melo is a top one point guard, unfortunately.
Trimble is as good a guard I've seen in the conference in a long time. Maybe the best since Mike Conley.
I'd agree. I think he's very good, but that's awfully bold. I'd say he's easily one of the top 10 sophomore or freshmen PGs in the nation.
Mac has single handedly carried us in three games that I can remember offhand, Columbia, Va Tech, and Wisconsin. Yes, he is not Melo, but he is an elite BIG player. If we had more scorers for him to pass to and play off, that would be more obvious.
Is it really though? BMac is 8th nationally in assist rate passing to a team of guys who can't shoot right now, and before you say that it's inflated by non-conference opponent weakness, his rate is higher in conference than it has been all season. If the PG's job is to facilitate the offense, I have no issues with anyone claiming BMac is Top-10 nationally.
Right. He arrived at NU 20 years old an fully formed as a point guard. It's easy to say that he's gotten better and that his ascension to very good is natural and not notable.
But saying that he's just gotten better doesn't recognize a) how much better he is as a scorer and especially a distributor than he was last year (Pardon and JVZ as oop-receivers certainly helps) and b) how awesome he was last season - his floor is very high.
The challenge with Mac is how well he'll hold up - he was drained in the back half of the conference season last year, and he's had to shoulder more of the load to this point in the season. I think he's better prepared, but there may be some dropoff.
I just look at it from the perspective of "are there 10 guys I'd rather have" and, as much as I like BMac, my answer to that question is "yes."
If BMac and Melo switched teams, Melo's assists would fall off a cliff.
I really think that BMac is the right guy and the right time. There are more gifted offensive players but I don't think anyone has the bball brain that BMac has. Maybe Yogi.
I mean I can list off Trimble, Ferrell, Ulis, Dunn, Paige, Jackson, Van Vleet, Morris without really thinking about it, and that's already 8.
But this makes it sound like I'm down on him, which I am absolutely not. He's the best player on our roster and it's impressive how much he's already improved from last year. By his senior year -- or, hell, maybe even next year -- he'll probably be on that list.
Who's your 10? I'll give you Melo, Kris Dunn, Kay Felder, Mike Gesell and Demetrius Jackson, but who else can you say is definitely better than BMac?
Edit: I see you beat me to it
Oh please. Bryant is not even the best PG in our conference and some would argue he's not even the 2nd best!
I would take BMac over Koenig and Walton, and I don't really know if we're counting Valentine as a true point guard. I look forward to his match-up with Yogi.
Is the kid from Wisky the kid that couldn't stop BMac from dominating the game and scoring 28 points? And BMac averages 4 more points and assists a game than Walton. But sure, they are better.
Mac is 1 billion percent the better player than Koenig. Koenig couldn't stop Mac for his life when they played, Mac's season stats are much better. That, and Mac shut down Koenig's offense as well.
And this is coming from someone who really likes Koenig. That guy is tough as nails
And this is coming from someone who really likes Koenig. That guy is tough as nails
Mac took Koenig to school the first five minutes of the Wisconsin game and they finally had to make a defensive switch as a result. Koenig is a really good shooter but I would not call him a great point guard.
Absolutely. Earlier in the year when Tre was still scoring BMac was more of a distributor.